


Façades

by TheDarkFlygon



Series: Autumn Fever (Whumptober 2020) [4]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Black 2 & White 2 | Pokemon Black 2 & White 2 Versions
Genre: Developing Friendships, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Headaches & Migraines, Light Angst, Self-Esteem Issues, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-13
Updated: 2020-10-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:35:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26992264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDarkFlygon/pseuds/TheDarkFlygon
Summary: Angela faces the mind-boggling sixteen-year-old teacher of her workplace at a moment of vulnerability.
Relationships: Cheren (Pokemon) & Original Character(s)
Series: Autumn Fever (Whumptober 2020) [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1966432
Kudos: 2





	Façades

**Author's Note:**

> I'M GONNA FIX US SOME DRINKS
> 
> Yeah, I know, it's GCB's Unova recipe again. I'm almost sorry because this oneshot was actually pretty cool to write. Angela's just way too fun to write and I usually don't get the opportunity to write her as seriously as I did here.  
> I took the 4th prompt, "Headaches", very literally, to my surprise lmao.

“You’re a pain in the ass, _kid_.”

“I’m not a child, Angela.”

She stares at the guy sitting on her examination table for the nth time this school year, incredulous. Yeah, sure.

“If you weren’t, you wouldn’t be here as often, _kid_.”

Also, she may enjoy teasing Cheren too much. It feels nice to finally have a workmate who is younger than her.

Still, she’s got a job to do, so she plops a pill into a glass of water and watches the thing dissolve in colourful bubbles. Medicine manufacturers apparently love their theatrics, even for something as mundane as keeping a headache in check. To be fair, it was more distracting for her. She was seeing those bubbles too often in her honest opinion, especially ever since Cheren joined the staff.

It’s not that she’d never administer headache medicine before the Gym was even a concept. Vincent and Monica would ask for some after long, noisy days of work. The headmaster would sometimes request a pill or two from her. Even some students would come to her to soothe their pains (usually before she actually needed to send them homes for bigger symptoms). No, Cheren isn’t the first and he’ll never be the last, but man is he her biggest client.

“Take it,” she says as she hands him the glass.

“Thank you.”

He sounds a little more resigned every time she has to give him medicine so he doesn’t collapse from sleep deprivation or whatever bug he’s caught. For once, she can’t say she doesn’t understand his motivations, albeit she can’t understand why someone his age would put himself through so much for the sake of what must be a side occupation compared to being a Gym Leader. She sure knows kids dream of being Leaders, if they don’t have the ambition to conquer the Elite Four.

“So, how is that research of yours going? You’re sure you didn’t bite off more than you could chew on that one?”

“Well, it could be going better, I’ll admit,” he replies between two gulps of the bitter medicine (his face doesn’t wrinkle, however: Cheren is less of a teenager and more of a little adult and it’s frightening to see, come to think of it). “I’ve been losing sleep over it.”

“You’re saying that as if that wasn’t obvious.”

He gives her a stinky look. It’s probably supposed to be a glare, but considering how weak it is, she’s wondering about his intent.

“Seriously, you need to sleep more than, like, two hours a night. You still need nine hours of sleep, at your age.”

 _Now_ he’s glaring at her.

“What’s so funny about my age?!”

Angela really didn’t expect him to ever snap, especially with the way he’s been rubbing his temples ever since entering her office, so she’s left stunned for a moment. Seems like she pushed on his button a little too much. What did she expect coming from a teenager whose head is aching, after all?

He may have an ungodly amount of patience, he’s nonetheless human, especially one going through troubled years of personal growth, both physical and mental. Kid doesn’t look like he’s got time to breathe to begin with, no wonder why he’s got no remaining patience for her stupid teasing. That and, of course, the fact he’s having a killer headache.

“Well, to be honest, there’s nothing funny about it,” she replies seriously, her mocking smirk all but gone.

Cheren, who still looks bothered, puts the glass down on the nearest solid surface. In silence. This room’s suddenly too silent.

“Listen. If I don’t call you “kid”, you’ll go ahead and forget about it. You’re not an adult, Cheren. You’re not supposed to be one yet. You’ve still got years ahead before you’re like Vincent, or Monica, or me. There’s no need to force yourself to work when you’re tired and all you want is your bed.”

He’s still silent. Too silent. Where are his dry, witty replies whenever she tries to chastise him like a child? At this point, she’s hoping she can blame it all on a headache. This is bad.

“I know you’re a Gym Leader and I know you want to be a good teacher to a class of aspiring Trainers. You’ve got that sense of duty and professionalism no boy your age should have. I keep seeing you work yourself to the bone and nobody even _attempts_ to stop you around here. I don’t know when they started finding than a sixteen-year-old working like them was normal, but all I know is that it’s not. You’re still just a kid, so please be a kid once in a while.”

He lowers his head.

“I’m saying that for you. Your condition is starting to worry me.”

He lifts his head, revealing some tears under his contacts.

“Is there a reason why you feel the need to be so adult?”

“I’m… I’m not a child anymore, Angela. I’m responsible on the workplace.”

“Roxie from Virbank is still very much a teenager like you.”

“I’m a _teacher_. I… I need to be an adult. I’m an adult.”

His voice is quivering. He’s definitely trying to convince himself.

“Why are you losing sleep over this? Your students won’t mind. We won’t mind. You’re still learning.”

He takes off his contacts and rubs the water out of his eyes.

“Truth be told, I’m afraid of disappointing everyone.”

His timid words and uncertain voice, along with the pained expression on his face, tug a heartstring or two within her. She walks up to him and, for once, behaves as gently with him as she would with his students.

“Hey, it’s fine. From what I’ve heard, your class loves you and our workmates have got nothing against you. You can rest easy knowing you’re already doing well.”

He looks up at her, allowing her to grasp just how tired he looks. Heh, it’s easy to guess why his head’s been hurting ever since this morning, now. Poor kid.

“You’ve got any challengers for the Gym tonight?”

He shakes his head, then immediately regrets it as he whistles out a pained grunt.

“What about I drive you home, then? I don’t think you’re in the right state of mind to bring yourself there. I don’t want anything to happen to you while you’re all alone with your headache.”

“B-but…”

“No, it doesn’t bother me. No, I don’t mind it. And no, it won’t be a waste of my time. You need to sleep more and worry less.”

Defeated, Cheren sighs, then puts back on his contacts.

“…sure thing.”


End file.
